Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re Mac user who happens to be a fan of Ubuntu as well, you’ll be excited to hear that the official Ubuntu One app for Mac users has entered beta. The team behind the app says that it will give all users regardless of the platform access to the benefits of Ubuntu One. The release of the application for Mac means that all three major computer operating systems are now able to use Ubuntu One.

The three operating systems include Ubuntu by default, Windwillows, and now Mac computers. There is also support for some mobile operating systems, including Android and iOS with file sync apps and a third-party client available for users of the Nokia N9. The Mac version of the app is the same as the Windows and Ubuntu versions that have been available for over a year.

Mac users get no exclusive features. That might not be such a good thing for some Mac users because that means that there are no Mountain Lion notifications for successful synchronization and no drag-and-drop up loader via Minus. The application does allow Mac users to choose which Cloud folders/files are kept synchronized.

For The beta app is missing a few features that Mac users may notice. The client software doesn’t support retina quality artwork, and it lacks an update mechanism for upgrading to newer versions of the software. The upgrade function will be integrated into the next release. The beta also doesn’t know whether the user status such as online or off-line and the Quick List doesn’t have links. If you’re okay with trying out beta software, you can download Ubuntu One for Mac right now.

Ubuntu One App for Mac users enters beta is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

NASA’s Robonaut 2 program has spawned an exoskeleton suit that could eventually help disabled people walk again as well as allow astronauts greater flexibility when roaming distant planets. Developed by NASA and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), the X1 Robotic Exoskeleton weighs 57-pounds and has ten joints, four of which are motorized. However, while like other exoskeletons we’ve seen, the X1 can work to augment the wearer’s movements, it can also be set to work against them.

That’s because the requirements for the Earth-bound and those out wandering through space are very different, and the X1 can cater to both. For those with limited or restricted movement, the X1 can be set to support and boost leg motions as an assistive walking device. IHMC is also looking at the potential outside of use by the disabled, such as for tackling varied terrain and extended use of stairs.

For astronauts, however, the X1 could actively work against them, providing Earth-like levels of resistance that normally wouldn’t be present in low- or zero-gravity environments. That, NASA believes, will help avoid muscle wastage, without taking up the space of traditional exercise equipment such as the International Space Station is currently equipped with.

On foreign planets, meanwhile, the exoskeleton could help astronauts clamber over arduous terrain, in addition to making it easier to walk in reduced gravity. Onboard sensors could feed back real-time telemetry of the body’s movements and the wearer’s physical condition.

Currently, only the hip and knee joints are motorized, with the remaining six being passive and allowing for side-stepping, turns, and pointing/flexing a foot to be carried out. However, future iterations of the X1 will include more active joints and thus increase the exoskeleton’s usefulness. NASA has already developed a Robo-Glove in partnership with GM, in a separate project based on Robonaut 2.

NASA warns that the X1 is still in the R&D phase, so we shouldn’t expect to see exoskeleton-clad walkers roaming the streets (or space) any time soon.

NASA X1 Exoskeleton keep astronauts fit and could help disabled walk is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Business Insider is reporting that Apple’s launch of iOS 6 brings with it not just Passbook and bad maps, but a new means of tracking user activity, too. That’s right; your iPhone tracks your every activity by default. Here’s how to stop it. More »

Amazon has confirmed that the UK, France, and Germany are next in line for the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library system, with the ebook loan program set to launch later in October. The scheme, which launched in the US back in November, and offers subscribers to Amazon Prime a range of books they can borrow on their Kindle. Up to one book per month can be borrowed, with no limit on how long it can be kept.

Amazon says that there will be over 200,000 titles for readers to choose from, with local-language ebooks as well as high-profile inclusions like the full Harry Potter series. Kids, mystery, science fiction, romance, non-fiction, and other categories are catered for.

As for publishers and authors, the Kindle Direct Publishing platform will support Kindle Owners’ Lending Library inclusion too, and the KDP Select fund – which pays out royalties per loan – has also been boosted to accommodate the predicted increase in demand. For October, it’s gone from $100,000 to $700,000, and Amazon says it is planning on another increase for November.

In September, Amazon says, authors were paid $2.29 per-borrow. To use the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library you’ll need an actual Kindle hardware device and to be a Prime subscriber – in the UK, that’s currently £49 per year.

Amazon Kindle Owners’ Lending Library gets Euro launch this month is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon makes a pretty good case for its Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite with prices as low as $199 and $119 respectively, but it turns out there’s more at work than just special offers to keep them affordable. In an interview with the BBC, the company’s head honcho Jeff Bezos revealed that they can keep the price tags reasonable since they don’t turn a profit on the devices. “Basically, we sell the hardware at our cost, so it is break even on the hardware,” Bezos said. “We’re not trying to make money on the hardware.” Instead, Amazon banks on making a buck when owners of the slates and e-readers purchase books, movies, games and other content through their digital storefront. This doesn’t exactly come as a surprise, but we’re glad that Jeff’s confirmed our suspicions.

Filed under: Tablets, Amazon

Bezos: Amazon breaks even on Kindle devices, not trying to make money on hardware originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 03:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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